Our Learning

Mathematics Association of Tasmania (MAT) Problem Solving Competition

By Jason McDonald, Head of Mathematics

The 2-hour MAT problem solving competition took place on Thursday 17th March.  This very challenging competition is best suited to students who have an interest in mathematical puzzles and problems and we had over 40 students from Years 7-12 participate. We look forward to hearing their success when results come out in Term 2. 

AAMT Mathematics Challenge

By Jason McDonald, Head of Mathematics

The Maths Challenge co-curricular opportunity was open to students in Years 7-10 who have an interest in Maths and would like to challenge themselves in addition to their everyday Maths curriculum. Over 50 participants signed up to compete in this year’s challenge with students completing 6 problems over 4 weeks in either the 7/8 competition or 9/10 competition.  They were also able to work in pairs if they chose as it can be great to learn and feed off another Mathematician when solving difficult problems.  There is a possibility of students continuing on to the Enrichment phase of this competition provided their Maths Challenge results justify this. 

Chinese Years 9 and 10 Food Excursion

By Monique Gall, Teacher of Chinese

The Chinese Years 9 and 10 classes went for their long-awaited food excursion on Friday 1 April. After learning about ordering and eating in a Chinese restaurant in class, the students walked to the Mulan restaurant in North Hobart for lunch to sample some authentic Chinese cuisine. They sampled various dishes and put what they learned about how to order and courtesy expressions into practice. What a fun way to use and learn the language and culture!!

Chinese Celebration Day

By Yong Cheng Vajra (Year 10)

Celebration Days are always the fun days for students to explore different cultures. On Wednesday, the 16th of February, the Chinese culture came to life at High School. Our students celebrated the rich culture of China and its traditions, bringing multiculturalism to our school community. Red couplets and red decorations were hung to enhance the Chinese festivities thus bringing goodf ortune. The staff and students prepared fried rice, spring rolls and various food for students to try. Students eagerly sampled the food made by the students in their Chinese lessons. Free Chinese red envelops (hong bao) for goodluck were given out to students who tried to read the Chinese New Year greetings for the real culture experience. The students also participated in a fun and engaging Chinese calligraphy demonstration and writing in the library. All students/teachers who participated get to keep the couplets they produced for decoration. It was a fun day for all to enjoy a unique Chinese New Year experience and to raise funds for a school–selected charity program!

Year 2 Excursion to a Huon Valley Apple Farm 

By Theresa Martin and Tim Salisbury, Year 2 Teaching Staff

In the last week of Term 1, Year 2 students participated in a full day visit to an apple orchard in the Huon Valley belonging to the family of one of our students, Heston. The intention of the visit was a provocation to the Unit of Inquiry, ‘Where we are in place and time’, which explores the idea that 'The past can be interpreted through personal stories'. Students looked at how we might seek to understand changes over time, using personal stories alongside factual explanations. A bonus of the visit was the opportunity to sample delicious, juicy apples, straight from the orchard.

A Photo Montage of Term 1 Outdoor Education by Tim Whelan, Coordinator of Outdoor Education

Co-curricular Clubs at Morris 

By Debbie Taylor, K-6 Coordinator

Pictured L-R: Years 5/6 dance club, tricycle club, Prep Lego club, junior chess club, Rubik’s Cube club

Dance, chess, TBall, drawing, Minecraft, creating with fabric, cross stitch, cricket, book, Maths Olympiad, experimenting with small loose parts, tricycle, Rock-It – make some noise, Lego, Rubik’s Cube and gardening clubs have been enjoyed by many students from Prep to Year 6 in this extraordinary first term of 2022.

Teachers cleverly chose spaces and year groups to accommodate the club’s livelihood, with Covid guidelines fresh in everyone’s decision making. New skills, making connections and  personal growth were evident and new friendships blossomed over these 6 weeks. Most clubs took place during first and second lunch breaks.

Henry (Prep) stated, “I enjoy finding worms in the vegetable garden, and I like using all the tools.”

Thea (Year 5) reflected and said, “I tried TBall for the first time and I didn’t really like it at first but my Dad said I had to give it another try and I did, and now I really like it. I particularly like batting.”

Mae (Year 3) commented, “Sewing makes my brain think and for the first time I got to use a sewing machine and now I’m really good at it.”

Ruby's (Year 3) response was, “I like Cross stitch club because I have learnt something new and I got to choose to join in my break.”

Ari (Year 6) reflected upon his enjoyment of chess club and said, “I get to play against other people and I learn new moves from the chess coaches.”

Alex (Year 5) commented, “I like TBall because it’s a good way to get your energy out and you can learn new skills.”

Finlay (Year 5) joined Maths Oympiad and said, “It gives you time to relax and test your skills in Maths.”

Moses in Grade 2 commented on Minecraft club, “I like building and we are currently building The Friends’ School and I love using my iPad.”

Term 2 Clubs will be shared in Week 1 with much anticipation. 

Ray Green Speaking Prize 2022

By Sarah Walker, International Baccalaureate Diploma Coordinator

The Ray Green Speaking competition is held each year for Years 11 and 12 students to speak on a specific topic. This year the prompt was "Changing the Narrative" and we were blown away by the depth and passion of the speeches given by five of our brave participants. 

Read a summary of the competition and the theme of each students' empowering speech on our website.

High School Diversity Club

By Lou Giudici, Casey-Rae Mullen and the High School Diversity Group

Pictured on the right: Hazel and James on the Harmony Week Stall

Our High School Diversity Club was founded mid 2021 and this year meets weekly in H209 on Tuesdays. We have members from all year groups. Together we have discussed inclusivity across all cultures and genders and practical ways of making our school community as inclusive as possible. We have made efforts to increase awareness throughout the school with posters promoting these values and ideas. 

Pictured above: Year 9 students Daania, Mae and Immy making friendship bracelets in the Old Undercovered Gym area

On the Wednesday of Harmony Week this term, we hosted a High School community event. Students were invited to make a flower or a friendship bracelet for a friend to represent acceptance of the diversity in our community. The feedback was really positive and we plan to do these kinds of activities more regularly, for example prompting other key events like IDAHOBIT, the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia on Tuesday 17 May.

Pictured above: Year 10 students Billie, Phoebe, Jenna, Caitin, Caitlyn, Maddy, Bella and Eliza making friendship bracelets on the Bottom Green

We have also worked with the Buildings and Grounds management team to increase the current number of non gendered toilets for students and help make decisions around appropriate signage. We are all passionate about how much things like this can contribute to making our students feel safe and understood in our community.

Pictured above: Hazel and friends making friendship bracelets in the Drama/Dance room.

Year 5 Outdoor Education Reflections

By Eleanor Reid and Finlay MacLeod (Year 5M)     

An opportunity for us to establish new friends, our excursion to Conningham had a deeper purpose…  To get to know new students in our year group and classes  and  have a small conversation with them, or ask what they thought of coming to a new school and finding new friends. It was the first of two Outdoor Education days for the week.

The fun tasks of the day made us think about the different ideas everyone had to share, and how people approach things in many different ways. The day began with building a sand runway and making a stunt, with an  obstacle and style. This made us consider how communicating with your teammates is critical in a successful outcome.

The second activity  was bushwalking along the cliffs.  When we  got to another beach further along the track  we had a drink and wondered about all the different kinds of rocks and their forms. Some of the rocks had a lot of holes and bumps like a huge hard sponge, and others littered the beach in piles and were flat, about the side of a five cent coin. Someone saw a snake and the sea view looked especially relaxing as we hurried back for lunch. The sand got everywhere, in your shoes, on your sandwich, so much that some of us had to wash our lunch boxes out at the tap near the toilet block.

The last activity was rock hopping along the beach rock pools and cliffs. We left our packs at the boat houses and discussed how the sandstone was formed and why there were fist sized rocks in the cliffs. At one point we had to clamber through  tree trunk branches and we got to look at the crabs under the rocks. On the bus trip back  we were tired  but chatty about the adventures of the day.

The second trip of the week was to The Lea. Once we arrived at the Lea, we headed  off to the base point where we had a quick morning tea and were separated into groups. Everyone was excited about the day ahead. The  first activity was the ropes course. We cheered each other on and when people were struggling we gave encouragement. We had ropes to hang on to but keeping your balance was difficult.

We then made a fire in a Kelly kettle to boil water to make hot milo for the group. All kinds of techniques and materials  were used, like dried grass and leaves, even animal poop to help the fire burn. We washed up in a bucket with some soap and hot water which really  stung your hands. 

Navigating the ropes was exhilarating.  The slack ropes stretched from one tree to another. You had to rely on your partners  to catch you when you fell and keep encouraging you to go to the end. My  team celebrated by climbing the tree the rope was attached to.

We had lunch and a break to talk with our old or new friends  before we separated again and set out for the next part of the day. The last activity was orienteering, in a group with a teacher supervising in case we got lost. Our group had a compass and some clues to find the marks hidden in the bush. It was always great when you found a marker when you had been searching for a long time. Sometimes they were nailed to a stump or on a road sign so you had to keep your eyes out. The area was in an archery range and was littered with targets, peppered with holes. 

When we got back we packed up and headed for the bus. It was the end of another tiring but fun filled day. We had all made new friends and got to know our whole Year 5 teaching team.

IBDP Theory of Knowledge Exhibition

Early in Term 1, the inaugural IBDP Theory of Knowledge Exhibition was held in The Farrall Centre. Each Year 12 IB student curated a mini-exhibition of three objects which responded to a prescribed prompt with an emphasis on the ‘real world’. Objects ranged from Bock’s portrait of Truganini to a student’s personal Maths test to Finnigan’s Wake to toothpaste! It was great for staff members and fellow students to hear the students discuss topics like ‘what counts as good evidence for a claim?’ and ‘to what extent is certainty attainable?’

Year 6 Service and Leadership Conference

In mid-February, Year 6 students participated in a Service and Leadership Conference. Several speakers participated, including Principal, Nelson File, who delivered an insightful talk on Leadership from a Quaker perspective. Students engaged in outdoor and indoor leadership activities that enabled students to explore the many skills, qualities, motivations and behaviours that enable people to lead with peace and compassion.

Year 7 Connections Program

All Year 7 students participated in a range of practical activities at the Kingborough Sports Centre recently as part of their Connections Program (Healthy Life module). Students worked cooperatively with their peers and developed their social and active engagement skills, as they experienced gymnastics, table tennis and indoor cricket.

Year 10 Sense of Future Day

There were feelings of excitement, apprehension, inspiration and perhaps nervousness, among the Year 10 students as they participated in their Sense of Future Day, which was the beginning of their Pathways program. As they start their journey looking at what their future may hold, the students heard from a number of guest speakers who shared their life stories. Students also participated in a variety of sessions, which offered experiences and information to support their decision making in the coming months and years.

The day culminated in the Morrisby Psychometric Testing from which each student received a personal and detailed profile. The Morrisby Profile has been designed to help students who are making important decisions about their future education and/or career. It is designed to help them understand themselves better, to gain focus and direction, to improve their study techniques and gain better grades. It can also help to confirm ideas about future careers students may already have or even suggest new ones.

Thank you to our Pathways Advisors, Lyn Tunbridge and Lyn Johnston, along with various staff, who organised and executed the fulfilling day. We are also very appreciative of our guest speakers, volunteering their time in an offer to support our students.

Below are some student testimonials from the day.

Dear Lyn

I loved hearing from many of the teachers at the school as I have worried recently thinking about my future, thinking I would be one of the only people around me not sure of how or what to do with my life. Hearing from others made me realise that struggling in choices is normal and a day to day part of growing up, and I am quite grateful for the advice, websites and information offered today as I feel it has made me slightly more at peace with the decision I have to make in the upcoming months. Thank you lyn, and thanks to all of the teachers and staff that made today possible. 

Sincerely, 

…..

Hi Lyn, 

A big takeaway for me was to always go with what I enjoy and what makes me happy. Most of the time there will be pressure from parents, family expectations, teachers, friends, etc. but it is incredibly important to make sure you enjoy your final decision. 

I'd just like to say thank you very much Lyn for this day, I have been introduced to many resources regarding jobs, seeking advice, and a lot more knowledge than I had before. You've done a great job at organizing it so big thanks. 

Kind regards 

…..

Hi Lyn

Thank you for you and all the people who could come and share their stories with us today. They were very inspiring and interesting to hear. It will help many people in their lives to understand that it's ok to make a mistake, or choose a different path to take in your life. 

Kind regards

Outdoor Education Trips for Year 7 Students

Year 7 students embarked on COVID-safe, Outdoor Education day trips, in lieu of camps, earlier in Term 1. During the ‘mountain’ day trips, students participated in an inclusive bike ride on the Pipeline Track and a waterfall walk in the Fern Tree area. During the ‘water’ day trips, students engaged in a learn-to-surf session and team beach games at Clifton or Park Beach. The purpose of these adventures was for students and staff to get to know each other better and to develop positive and supportive working relationships.

Science and Engineering Challenge

At the end of March, 28 Year 10 students competed in Day 2 of the Hobart Science and Engineering Challenge. The students worked in small teams on STEM challenges that involved teamwork, resilience and creative problem solving skills. The day also exposed students to a variety of different situations where Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are used in different careers to solve real life problems and they also got to meet some STEM professionals and students as well. Overall, Friends' students had a good day, they stayed positive and determined to do their best and were confident in testing out new ideas and designs.

Year 2 TMAG Excursion

On Friday, Year 2 students visited the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery as part of their inquiry into ‘How we express ourselves’. The students explored the museum and viewed various artworks to develop their own understandings and interpretations using their knowledge of artistic elements.

Prep Explore Coningham Beach

On the last day of Term 1, Prep students participated in an outdoor education experience. As part of their 'How we express ourselves’ unit of inquiry, they spent a beautiful day at Coningham Beach, creating sand sculptures and mandalas out of seaweed, shells and other ocean treasures.

Easter Egg Painting in Years 9 and 10 German Classes

Students from German classes in Years 9 and 10, embraced the German tradition of Easter egg painting towards the end of Term 1. Hollowed-out eggs were painted and then hung on twigs to form an Easter bunch. Students then participated in an Easter egg hunt around the High School grounds.

Exceptional Results from our 2021 Graduates

We are proud of all of our 2021 graduates, their remarkable results and all that they have achieved during their time with The Friends’ School. In 2021, 48.3% of our graduating students achieved an ATAR of 90+, placing them in the top 10% of students nationally.

• 18 TCE and IB students achieved an ATAR (or equivalent ATAR) of 98.5+, placing them in the top 1% of students nationally.
• The median ATAR for the 2021 cohort was 89.9.
• Across the whole Year 12 cohort, 99.2% of students achieved a TCE and 96.1% achieved an ATAR.

Read more here

Peter Jones Peace Prize

Students' participated in the Peter Jones Peace Prize in 2021 and their work was published in The Australian Friend at the end of last year: https://australianfriend.org/the-peter-jones-peace-prize/

Friends’ Early Learning  - refreshed and ready to enjoy!

By Fiona Zinn, Deputy Head (Early Learning - Year 1)

After what seemed like an eternity, the Friends’ Early Learning families and children were overjoyed to be welcomed back into the newly restored and refreshed building on the 10th of January. 

On 29 August last year, our early morning staff team arrived at FEL at 7am, (all dressed in their finest book week costumes!), to find that the building had flooded overnight, due to a burst water pipe from under one of the children’s sinks. The damage was substantial and impacted all four rooms; the water had travelled from the back door of the Blue Room right to the front of the hall near the FEL Reception area. 

The process of renovation and restoration took place between early September and late December, during this time the staff and children of FEL enjoyed getting to know different areas of the school engaging with their programs in three different locations.

During this time, many new opportunities presented themselves, for the FEL community to enjoy more connected relationships with the rest of the school as we planned and delivered our early learning programs in these temporary spaces. As the FEL building restoration process neared completion in the days just before Christmas, we closed the centre a few days early and supported the staff team through the process of moving back into FEL. 

On January 10th we were overjoyed to welcome many happy faces of families and children back into the centre, as they explored and enjoyed our wonderful new spaces. The gift of this entire process was not just the opportunity to renew our physical spaces, but also to renew our pedagogy and practice; the FEL staff have embraced this change with resilience, creativity and optimism; and the result of their hard work and commitment can clearly be seen in our beautiful new learning spaces for especially created for the FEL children and their learning adventures.

As the saying goes, ‘with every challenge comes an opportunity to grow’. We are deeply grateful to the School Board and Leadership for their support and guidance through this period and to the whole School community for embracing our FEL children, staff and families with open arms.